The Leprosy Mission Nigeria has expressed concern over the persistent under-representation of children with disabilities in budgets, warning that the gap undermines inclusion, equity and accountability in governance.

The TLMN national director, Sunday Udo, stated this on Tuesday.

Mr Udo said that the mission recently conducted a desk review of federal and subnational budgets from 2023 to 2025 to analyse budget allocations specifically for children with disabilities.

The desk review was conducted by the TLMN, with support from the Lilian Fonds, to enhance budget inclusivity for children with disabilities in the country.

According to him, most budgets make only broad references to disability, health, education, and social welfare, without specific, trackable budget lines.

He added, “Our findings from the health sector under the Basic Health Care Provision Fund have no children with disabilities budget indicators.

“Parents often pay out-of-pocket for healthcare because disability is recognised as a health challenge. Also, ministries with child protection mandates lack sufficient fiscal power, and broad programmes fail to address the unique needs of children with disabilities.”

Mr Udo urged the government to ensure specific, costed and monitorable budget commitments, stressing that if children with disabilities are not clearly budgeted for, then exclusion becomes inevitable.

Ayuba Gufwan, the executive secretary of the National Commission for Persons with Disabilities, said that budgeting for persons with disabilities had been grossly inadequate.

According to him, one of the biggest challenges is securing an appropriate budget.

“We want a budget that is commensurate with the disability population in its entirety, and then of course, a specific budget that will capture the interests of children,” he said.

He reiterated the commission’s commitment to supporting stakeholders with technical expertise to engage the government.

Mr Gufwan appealed to ministries, departments and agencies to make their budgets as inclusive as possible to drive inclusivity in all sectors.

Mohammed Issa, the senior special adviser to the president on special needs and equal opportunity, lauded the Leprosy Mission for conducting a desk review to identify areas of concern that limit the inclusion of children with disabilities in society.

Mr Issa said children with disabilities remained among the most marginalised and excluded groups in society, which raised concerns.

He, however, said that the government had continued to demonstrate commitment to advancing the rights and protection of persons with disabilities and that children were not left behind.

(NAN)